New Yorkers have an opportunity to choose a new license plate by voting on line for one of five new designs. (Visit now.ny.gov or our Facebook page to find out how). Voting closes Sept. 2 at 11:59 p.m.
Of the five designs, three prominently feature the Statue of Liberty and the word “Excelsior.” A fourth includes the Statue of Liberty, along with images of Niagara Falls and the New York City skyline. The fifth plate depicts the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge which replaced the old Tappan Zee Bridge.
Republican critics of Governor Andrew Cuomo - the same lawmakers who were opposed to the re-naming of the new bridge after the father of the current governor - put forth the conspiracy theory that three choices would split the pro-Statue of Liberty vote and cast the election in favor of the Cuomo Bridge. Many of us are also wondering why that particular bridge was chosen. The Brooklyn Bridge is certainly more iconic, and the Bear Mountain Bridge is more picturesque.
Come to think of it, aside from a depiction of Niagara Falls on one of the designs, there is nothing to suggest that the designers had ever traveled north of Yonkers. Why not offer regional plates? Perhaps ours could show a regional scene like Storm King Mountain or perhaps the Walkway Over the Hudson.
The real question, of course, is why do we need these at all? Unlike last time, when New Yorkers had the option of replacing their white plates with gold ones with blue lettering, these are not optional. They are mandatory. When you renew your motor vehicle registration, you will be charged an additional $25 for the new plate. Want to keep the old numbers? That’s an extra $20.
It comes down to money. Most of us don’t really “need” a new set of plates, especially if you have a set of the more recently-issued gold plates, but the state of New York, always in search of new revenue, has come up with a new source. We will get to discard some perfectly good license plates, most of which have at least a few more years in them and get to pay another fee in the process.
None of us really “need” to pay more taxes either, but in this case, we are!